


Fixation

by alliterations



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M, MidoKise Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 03:12:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4288524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alliterations/pseuds/alliterations
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>New habits die hard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fixation

**Author's Note:**

> For day 1 of MidoKise week 2015: Teiko Era

Kise had some bad habits. Magazines liked to spin them as charming quirks, things used for him to appeal to the fans as human and approachable, but the one that was the hardest to break was also the one his agency could not abide: he bit his nails when nervous or upset or deep in thought. His thumbs were the worst, sometimes chewed down to the point of bleeding, and there were times he’d ruin manicures mere hours after he’d gotten them. 

He’d been trying to break the habit, _really_ , but it wasn’t his fault he had a math exam a day before a really big shoot. Now his nails were a mess and he wasn’t entirely confident that it was just an idle threat the last time his manger said she’d strangle him if he bit them again. He needed to think of a fix, and needed to think of one fast. 

Plan B came in the form of cornering Midorima after practice in the locker room when everyone else had gone home. Luckily, he’d decided on some extra shooting practice (were Geminis up in the rankings today for Kise to be so fortunate?), so it was just a matter of waiting, and then sidling up to him just before he turned for the exit. As expected, Midorima responded to Kise’s winning smile with an irritated glare. 

“No.” 

“But I haven’t even asked you anything yet!” 

“You’re going to.” Midorima sniffed, and attempted to step around Kise. “You have that _look_.” 

“Midorimacchi, please! I really, really, really need a favor.” Kise lunged at him, clutching his arm before he could escape. Midorima made an indignant noise and tried to shake him off, but Kise just clung tighter. “I’ll buy you whatever you want from the convenience store on the way home!” 

“Who said I was walking home with you?!” 

“Don’t we normally?” Kise blinked up at him, perplexed. They always did, when the team as a whole wasn’t all going back together, and if Kise didn’t need to keep Midorima from running away, he would have been waiting at the front gate for the other to finish, anyway. Another habit, but definitely not a bad one. “Anyway, I need to you to give me an emergency manicure. I ruined my nails by biting them and I always see you fixing yours, so you’ve gotta be good at it, right?” 

“You can solve this problem by not biting them in the first place, you realize.” Midorima sighed, apparently resigning himself to having Kise attached to his arm for the time being. 

“I know, and I’ve been trying to, but I had a hard test today and before I knew it, they were all chewed up. So will you help?” Kise gave Midorima the most imploring, piteous look he could muster, and he could see the exact instant Midorima’s severity started to crack, the way his mouth relaxed and the creases from his glower smoothed out around his eyes and between his eyebrows.

“Fine. But just this once.” Kise hid his satisfied grin against Midorima’s biceps, briefly, not buying the stern façade for an instant. “Don’t come running to me every single time.” 

“ _Thanks_ , Midorimacchi. You’re a lifesaver.” 

“If you want this done, let me go.” Midorima shook the arm still in Kise’s hold for emphasis. “And sit down on the bench.” 

This time, Kise obeyed instantaneously, taking a seat and watching with interest as Midorima—now freed—unzipped his bag and pulled out a mini nail care kit. He settled down next to Kise on the bench, close enough their shoulders and legs were brushing, and after opening the lid of the kit, reached over to take one of Kise’s hands. Seemingly, so long as there was a task at hand, he remained cool and unflustered about personal space. He was quiet, too, only making a disapproving _tsk_ sound with his tongue on the roof of his mouth at the damage before getting to work. 

Kise found himself almost startled into silence as well, watching Midorima file and tend to his nails with the same amount of focus he used while shooting or studying. It was a strange feeling, one that sent Kise’s stomach swooping, for a part of him to be trapped in that intense stare Midorima reserved for things that deserve his undivided attention. He wondered what it would be like if Midorima raised his head enough for that look to be leveled at Kise directly. 

Midorima also had very pretty hands, Kise couldn’t help but note. Soft, with long, elegant fingers, deft and assured in every movement. Suddenly, Kise regretted not watching Midorima closer when he’s shooting, when the ball rested in his hands, or when his fingers slid against the surface when he released it in an elegant arc towards the hoop. Maybe he could during their next practice—it might be worth it even if it left a good opening for Aomine to throw a basketball at his head. 

Too soon, though, Midorima finished, all of Kise’s nails now perfectly shaped and perfectly smooth. No one at the agency would find fault. 

“Thanks again! This is great.” Kise made a show of examining Midorima’s handiwork while the other put his kit away.

“Of course it is.” Midorima straightened, slipping the strap of his bag over his shoulder while adjusting his glasses with his free hand, and Kise was suddenly filled with thoughts about what it might be like to feel Midorima’s fingers laced with his own, carding through his hair, curled at the base of his jaw as they kissed—ah. When had this tipped over from friendly nudges, from teasing, from wanting Midorima’s attention because it was the hardest to get, into wanting it for reasons like _that_? 

“Okay! Now that that’s done, it’s time to get your reward, Midorimacchi!” Kise leapt to his feet, scooping up his bag and tugging at Midorima’s sleeve while he made for the exit, like if he was fast enough he could leave all of his previous thoughts behind. “Whatever you want, my treat.” 

“And if I said I wanted to walk home by myself?” 

“That totally doesn’t count! Midorimacchi, don’t be mean!” He leaned against Midorima in retaliation as they walked outside into the encroaching sunset, the campus dyed in colors of pink and orange, nearly knocking him off-balance. Midorima sputtered, apparently too engrossed in his indignation at the action to notice Kise lingered before pulling away.

And Kise thought, ruefully, as they fell into a familiar steps on the familiar way back home, that Midorima was probably going to become a habit now, too.


End file.
